180 



Culture of Asparagus. 



Vol. IX. 



some other periodical, for I see with delight 

 anything that can bring nearer to each other 

 science and agriculture. 



Yours, J. E. Teschemacher. 



Boston, Oct., 1844. 



Culture of Asparagus. 



Asparagus, or Spearage, is a native of 

 Great Britain, where it is found growing in 

 its primitive state, of a small slender habit, 

 not much larger tlian the spikes of meadow- 

 grass ; it derives its name, Spearage, from 

 the spear-like appearance of the shoots when 

 they first protrude from the ground : no ve- 

 getable that I am acquainted with, is more 

 capable, by an excess of food and hfgh cul- 

 tivation, of being brought to so luxuriant a 

 state : the great pains that have been by 

 many cultivators bestowed on the culture of 

 this esculent, renders it capable of the term 

 Giant being applied to the most luxuriant 

 variety. The term Giant applied to the! 

 vegetable kingdom, being synmiymous to a 

 redundancy in the animal, I think is incor- 

 rectly applied. I shall, therefore, propose a 

 more applicable term to those vegetables 

 that admit of such redundancy, viz: Mon- 

 strous Asparagus, Monstrous Rhubarb, and 

 the like, "deviating from the common course 

 of nature." 



The use and manner of preparing this ve- 

 getable for the table, is too well known to re- 

 quire any comment from me; I shall, there- 

 fore, proceed to its culture. The old fantas- 

 tic way of digging out the soil two or three 

 feet deep, and paving with oyster shells, 

 bricks, stones, and the like, I shall leave 

 with the cultivators of old, and endeavour 

 to point out a system that will bear the test 

 of the present improved state of horticul- 

 ture-. However, in one thing I shall differ 

 from the present mode of culture adopted 

 by the general mass of cultivators, — and 1 

 believe not generally agreed to by many sci- 

 entific gardeners at the present da)' — which 

 is the planting the bed in the latter end of 

 May or the beginning of June, when the 

 plants are in a full state of growth. I have 

 had many convincing proofs that tlie plant- 

 ing of Asparagus roots in the fall and early 

 in the spring, is not the best method. The 

 roots of Asparagus being fasticulate, which 

 is spreading from a common centre or crown 

 in the shape of a hand, or something in the 

 form of a crab; the roots protruding from 

 the centre are long and fleshy, subject to rot 

 in too much moisture when transplanted, and 

 to dry up if kept in too dry a situation, and 

 to mould in the winter in either; hence the 

 roots should never be disturbed in the fall. 

 When new beds are planted in the fall. 



uiany plants are liable to fail, and those that 

 do not, have many of their roots much in- 

 jured, and are thus much weakened before 

 vegetation takes place. 



The great advantage of the system of. 

 planting in June is, that it gives an opportu- 

 nity to prepare the ground well in the sprino-, 

 when the sun and air can penetrate and ope- 

 rate on it to very good effect ; there ts also 

 a certainty of planting, for if well done, 

 there need not be any failure, the plants 

 being in a good state to grow and clmg to 

 the soil. 



Culture. — Asparagus is increased by seed, 

 and may be sown in the autumn as soon as 

 ripe, or early in the spring, in a rich piece 

 of ground, in drills eighteen inches apart, 

 and well cultivated during the summer. 

 The plants siiould be thinned to an inch 

 apart, in order to give them strength; for 

 when allowed to grow too thickly together, 

 the crowns will be weak, and injure one 

 another. 



The succeeding spring the plants may be 

 transplanted into a well prepared nursery 

 bed, fitleen inches apart between the rows, 

 and three or four inches apart in the rows. 

 The mode of planting is, to draw drills with 

 a hoe three inches deep, and dividing the 

 fibrous roots, they are to be laid into the 

 rows crown upwards. The planting being 

 done, all that is required during the season 

 is good culture. 



Transplanting into the Final Bed. — The 

 bed for final planting being prepared as be- 

 fore directed, at the proper time it may be 

 planted in the following manner: Lay it out 

 into four feet beds, with two feet alleys — 

 drive down cedar stumps three feet lonar, at 

 the four corners of the bed, leaving one foot 

 of the stumps above the surface; this done, 

 draw drills eighteen inches apart in each 

 bed, six or eight inches deep, and plant the 

 plants as before directed, eight or ten inches 

 apart in the rows, covering them slightly 

 with soil or compost from the compost heap. 



Tlie bed will require to be hoed and well 

 cultivated during the summer, and in the 

 fall it should be covered with a quantity of 

 good rotten manure ; early in the spring, 

 rake off part of the long manure, and as 

 soon as the surface is dry, it may be broken 

 up with a three pronged fork, to loosen the 

 surface. During the summer, all kinds of 

 weeds must be taken from the beds as they 

 make their appearance, and everything 

 should be done to facilitate the growth and 

 vigor of the plants. In the fall, as soon as 

 the stalks are ripe, they may be cut off close 

 to the ground, and the bed may be replen- 

 ished with manure, and the surface earth of 

 the alleys may be skimmed off a Tew inches 



